Darius Campbell: It’s an honour to be Pearl Harbor show’s star

Thursday 24 October 2013 13:14 BST

The sight of Burt Lancaster rolling around on the sand with Deborah Kerr is one of the most memorable moments in the 1953 film of From Here to Eternity.

But Pop Idol star Darius Campbell, in the First Sergeant Milt Warden role in Tim Rice’s new musical, said it was not Lancaster who haunted him but the desire to honour the real soldier the character was loosely based upon.

Campbell, 33, said: “Warden is based on a real man who fought and died in the attack on Pearl Harbor.

“It was more intimidating stepping into the shoes of a man who was very much a hero than anything else. It’s a great privilege to take on this role that tells the story of that struggle and the love affair between Warden and Karen, made famous by Burt Lancaster and Deborah Kerr.”

Campbell previously starred in the ill-fated Gone With the Wind musical but was not deterred at taking on a new show again. “I’m absolutely over the moon,” he said.

Sir Tim Rice, 68, was delighted to have been able to help the composer Stuart Brayson get his first show into the West End at the age of 48 having written 18 before. But the lyricist of Evita and Jesus Christ Superstar admitted he might never write another show. “I hope not. I have no idea. At the moment I just want to go and see the cricket in Australia.”

Gateshead-born Brayson hailed his mentor and supporter as “a wonderful human being” and said of his West End debut: “It’s been a long time coming.”

Kaylie and Jamie Jones, both 53, the children of James Jones, who wrote the novel from which film and musical were adapted, joined an audience including Graham Norton, Elaine Paige and cricketer David Gower.

They said they were thrilled that the show honoured the book, including gay sex passages and swearing their father was originally forced to cut.